It will come back
by 7Seabear
Summary: Chiyo Sakamoto has a simple goal in life - to see her family legacy live on. After six mismatched suitors and a wealth of terrible business propositions, will it be seventh time lucky?
1. Chapter 1

Being the heir of a wealthy family was never an easy feat, especially when one bore the burden alone. For Chiyo Sakamoto it had demanded discipline, intelligence and discretion from the time she was old enough to comprehend what those words meant. As early as she had learned that lesson, she had also been made aware of another one. While her father was an exemplary businessman, without her, he was going to lose everything. Of course, as a man, he failed to see such an outcome. Funnelling money into her education, career and safety had been a long road towards a mutually beneficial marriage of some kind once she came of age. Chiyo, to her credit, played along. Mostly.

At twenty she had gained her medical degree and by twenty-five, her father had trotted out seven suitors for her dismissal. Of course, he hadn't _expected_ there to be dismissals. He'd wanted marriages. Monetary success. A legacy of their family name surviving past his death, and hers. Chiyo wasn't sure at what point her father had decided that a woman couldn't take over the business without a suitable husband to keep the board in line but it hadn't stopped her becoming as powerful as she could. Which made it all the more infuriating when he had called her that morning to suggest another marriage interview, taking place that very evening while she was at a conference.

Until the fifth suitor, her father had insisted on being present to evaluate the candidates with her. At her twenty fourth birthday she had put her foot down, determining that she was far too old to be babysat in such a way. She'd framed it in a way that sat well with him, reminding him of her security team and the fact that it was difficult to be flirtatious and enticing towards a future husband when her father sat two seats over. More truthfully, she found it difficult to get the measure of a man when his head was halfway up her father's arse.

Tonight would be her second meeting alone, the first of which had been a veritable disaster. Not so much for the Sakamoto business but rather, the poor fool who had thought he could railroad her into a submissive and uncomplimentary agreement by merit of the fact that she was negotiating by herself. The fool. Tonight, she expected to be no different. For every suitor that had been put across her path, few of them had piqued her interest and even less had kept it. Still, an agreement was an agreement. She would meet the Ootari man and make the measure of him herself.

The hotel was beautiful.

A boutique and extravagant masterpiece, it encapsulated everything about Paris that had caught her eye. Grandeur bled from its stonework but with subtlety. There were no flashy gold decals or ornate chandeliers. Instead it held paintings and discoveries, glass cabinets filled with first edition textbooks from the likes of Newton, Paracelsus. Her favourite was a second edition translation of the works of Curie, painstakingly transcribed from the original which still remained behind a leaded box.

The last man she had met in such a place had turned his nose up at it for being too dull. A man who couldn't recognise true art was no man worth marrying.

Tucked into a corner of the bar, Chiyo examined the file Eto handed to her. She should've been prepping for her meetings the next day at Hôtel-Dieu, not combing an information packet on an idiotic man. Akito Ootori might have been the second born son of the family but he lacked ambition. Determination. It didn't take a genius to see that. He squandered his medical degree while trying to gain skills in business, playing second fiddle to the eldest brother. In many ways, he was just like her father. Which meant it was utterly impossible for her to marry him.

Hino approached her from behind, Chiyo sitting a little higher in her seat.

"A car just pulled up outside ma'am. It's as you suspected." A subtle nod shared comprehension, the woman turning the pages a little further into the file she held. Thumb grazing the photograph there, she frowned. Closed the file and slotted it between the seat and arm of her chair.

When Kyoya Ootori entered the room, her eyes widened a fraction more than expected. Part of her had meant the action to be intentional, a display of weakness but instead she was caught off guard by him. His photograph hadn't done him justice. He wore an immaculately pressed suit and his three men moved silently behind him. Without much ado, her own team fell into step behind her chair. An action she quickly put an end to with a flick of her wrist. It wouldn't do to show weakness at this venture.

He lowered himself into the chair opposite her after a terse bow, his men shifting to various points in the room. A reminder that although she was the one with home advantage, _he_ would insist on controlling the room.

"Miss Sakamoto, a pleasure."

"The pleasure is all mine Mr. Ootori. I'm glad you were able to take time out of your trip to meet me. Although, to be perfectly frank I was under the impression your brother would be joining me."

There was a twitch at the edge of his mouth that made her wary. Chiyo kept her smile amiable.

"I'm afraid Akito had other matters to attend to. My father requested that I come in his place." He looked vaguely annoyed about it. Enough that she felt a sliver of defensiveness rising. Who was he to find _her_ presence distasteful? She mentally steeled herself. She knew the routine by now. Get through her pleasantries, feign interest in his business. Trouble was, she didn't _have_ to feign interest this time. The Ootori family had built a megacorporation in the health industry. A marriage between herself and one of the available heirs made _sense_. What didn't sit well with her was the idea that she was an item to be pawned off on the third brother when the second had better things to do. Even if the third was _infinitely_ more interesting.

"Of course. I shall have to explain to my father. He seemed rather under the impression that Akito and I would make a match." A laugh, the expression not quite meeting her eyes. "Though as someone who knows him well, I'm sure you will make a better judgement of that."

"I'm sure I will." Her eye twitched faintly at the look on his face that suggested his judgement would be unfavourable. "Shall we order drinks?"

Nodding, she forced herself to relax. To sit a little further into her seat, one leg crossing the other. With subtle satisfaction, she saw the way his eyes followed her movement. Lingered on the curve of her calf and ankle. Choosing something simple from the menu that might get her buzzed rather than _drunk_, it was Kyoya that steered their conversation from polite indifference to something more political.

"Your family, you've only gained your fortune recently?" Chiyo's mouth tightened but she nodded all the same. This line of questioning wasn't new to her, so rising to the bait was easy to ignore.

"We are a young company, yes, however we are not without our merits. My grandfather built his reputation first as the best physician in Shibuya, then Tokyo. My father then capitalised on that success to establish the Sakamoto corporation. I imagine you've already seen the dossiers?"

"In great detail. It's rare for a company in its infancy to go from strength to strength without facing hurdles. Though I imagine the greatest hurdle your father faces is the lack of an heir." Another twitch of a muscle around her mouth. He looked like he was enjoying himself. Chiyo watched the way he hooked one ankle over the other, the casual way he sat. He'd opened his suit to reveal an equally tailored waistcoat beneath but it was his tie that confused her. It was a simple knit affair, a shade of lavender that complimented his features but halfway down it held a little pin. She couldn't make it out from a distance but it didn't take a trained eye to know it was a cheap thing. He didn't look the sort to purchase such an item himself.

Sentimentality then, she concluded. A strange weakness. One she was somewhat prepared for.

"True," She conceded finally, voice cool, "However I hope you will not hold the shortcomings of my sex against me. It simply cannot be helped, but my father's business will thrive regardless." The man had already threatened to deed the company to his second in command if she failed to procure a worthy husband, something her grandfather had implored her to prevent. Takeo Kono was a good businessman, if the business you wanted conducted was run of the mill factory fodder. Not a multi-billion enterprise that had been constructed through blood, sweat and tears.

"Indeed. In the last decade alone you've seen, what - a two-hundred-fold increase in profit margins?" A profit, that she believed, ought to be funnelled back into their business. Not squirreled away for investments on a whim. Luck was not a trick of fate. It was _crafted_.

"Two fifty. They released the more recent figures last night so don't fret over the mistake." It was his turn to twitch and she saw one of the men nearby drop his mask. Just for a moment but it was enough to know she'd struck a nerve.

"My father told me you were only here for three days, attending some conference. Is that correct?"

"Yes, I presented today on my recent research."

"Diabetes?"

"Yes. It's a rising epidemic with western diets. It's why we've pushed for our clinics to have top of the line medical apparatus and dieticians on hand. I was presenting on the success we've had at establishing the Sakamoto Corporation as the leading researcher on the topic in Japan."

"But at present, you don't officially _work_ for your family business. Your earnings are all from a trust." How the hell had he known _that_? Her face smoothed out too suddenly and she realised what he'd done, walking her into a trap. Licking her lips, she lifted the glass of wine and took a mouthful while internally screeching her displeasure. What an utter _toad_ of a man. She wanted to wipe that contented look off of his face.

"No. I believed it would be best if I began my career with a clinic separate to the family business. The medical field moves at a breakneck speed, a fact I'm sure you're aware of, and it was my grandfather's belief that we cannot continue to grow if all we know is condensed down into one singular path. I am, however, on the Sakamoto board and thus more than capable of speaking to its success." It was more honest than she liked to share, but somehow, it seemed imperative to give him that.

"So, you're only interested in the medical side. What about business?"

"My father has halted my business learning until I find a husband." There was a glint in his eyes as he made a signal over his shoulder, a small file placed into his hand. She knew immediately that it was for show. Whatever those pages contained; the knowledge was locked firmly in his mind. _The Ootori boy is just passing through, you should meet my fucking ass_. Her father had been duped. This wasn't a happenstance occasion. It was a planned attack.

"Funny you should say that. Do you frequent Chuo city for fun?" Her heart gave an uncomfortable flutter in her chest at the accusation, Chiyo's expression frosting over. "I hear your father is _most_ put out by you having a not-so-secret lover but that's not the entire story is it?"

Heart racing, Chiyo knew hesitation would kill any chance of coming out of this interview in control. She just hadn't expected to deploy her own riposte so soon, the woman dislodging and then placing her own folder onto the table between them.

"How's your former classmate Suoh doing? Are you still in love with his wife?" If the light hadn't been so dim in the room, she might have thought he'd paled. He turned a bored look towards the window, one arm crossing his chest and the other tucking against his jaw. She hadn't noticed at first but he had long fingers. They reminded her of a pianist.

"I asked myself, what could a successful doctor and researcher be doing dating some man in _Chuo_ city? Living one step above a slum. Of course, once I heard rumours of your father withholding your business education and learned that Daisuke was a teaching assistant for the school of business at Tokyo University it all began to make sense."

"Did Haruhi ever know? I saw the wedding photos of them, they were quite beautiful, but truly the most amazing thing was the look on your face when you believed neither of them were looking. Does your father approve of one of his heir's lusting after a trusted associate's wife or is that simply par for the course when it comes to how the Ootori's conduct business?"

Each exchange was marked by another smile but the air between them crackled with malicious intent. His knuckles had turned white against the scotch glass in his hand. She hadn't seen him pick it up, afraid to sever eye contact. Her heart was a frantic ripple in her chest, so loud she was certain he must be able to hear it.

She could feel Doi's presence at her back, the woman always quick to react when a situation turned sour. Her father had resisted her appointment of _women_ to provide security but one look at Yukio Doi and he'd swallowed his complaint. Her menace wasn't immediately apparent. It was the kind of sensation that slipped over one's skin like oil. Not immediately _alarming_ but it didn't feel right. Before a person knew it, they'd already drowned in the stuff.

Kyoya seemed to sense it, but so did his guards. The three men materialised behind him at once, their expressions bearing equal levels of intimidation. Chiyo stared at them coolly before allowing her eyes to flick back to the man of the hour. There was a sour twist to his mouth. Finally, he spoke.

"You've done your homework. Commendable."

"Your reputation precedes you. Only an imbecile would show up here unprepared."

"I thought you were expecting my brother?" The edge of her mouth lifted in a lopsided smile.

"Akito Ootari hasn't built the same experience in vetting his potential marital matches. How many have passed before you? Fourteen?"

"Seems I'm in greater demand. Double the amount you have seen. Why _did_ your father agree to let you conduct these interviews alone?"

"Oh, I'm hardly alone when I'm with friends." Another careful flick of her wrist brought his attention to the other denizens of the room. For a while, she'd almost forgotten they existed herself, the power of Kyoya Ootori cloying as strong perfume. Now he seemed to take in who was nearby. The barman who was watching them in the mirror. A smartly dressed woman sitting three tables away, chin lifted defiantly. Another couple by the piano, waving companionably.

"Co-workers?"

"Conference attendees. Friends. Employees here at this fine establishment. I _do_ come to Paris rather often." She'd rattled him. The hotel wasn't one of the collection she booked through the family agent, choosing to make the reservations herself each time she returned. She also paid in cash. Tipped well. Never made a fuss. There were perks to new money, and Chiyo had found them in a small back street of Paris.

"You've just given up your secret." Kyoya looked smug at that thought. She shrugged.

"I needed a means to tip the odds in my favour." Leaning forward, she rested her elbows against her knees, curved hands under her chin. "I didn't fall out of the womb this morning. Anyone with sense knows that _you_, Mr. Ootori, are sent in for one of two reasons. Either your father wants a smooth decision-making process, _or_ he wants an amiable result that just so happens to make my family go away."

"And your father, why send _you_?"

"Because while he refuses to allow me to inherit the family business, he does recognise that I make my decisions _well_. I have yet to turn down a suitor without a valid business reason. What you might not have gleaned from your research into my life Mr. Ootori," She had to stop speaking his name, it flowed too easily off of her tongue, "Is that while my grandfather created the bones of the Sakamoto Corporation, and my father expanded it - _I_ will be the one to rule it. It's _my_ dominion, has been since I was six years old, and I won't have some two-bit fool stepping in to gain my family legacy unless they have _earned_ it."

"Difficult to rule an empire if your father runs it into the ground. My estimations put your legacy ten years from failure."

"I've estimated seven."

"Is the Sakamoto Corporation withholding public information?" His smile was coy. _Dangerous_.

"Of course not. I simply recognise that numbers on a page are nothing if the person reading them doesn't know the kind of decisions those in charge are making." He sat back, considering her once more.

"Kono. I suspected he was a chink in the armour." She was impressed he managed to pinpoint the problem so quickly, but then, he _was_ Kyoya Ootori. Underestimating him only resulted in his opponents looking like idiots. Chiyo said nothing. It was worth holding her tongue a little longer. These marriage interviews weren't a simple affair. They required tact. A certain knowledge that one entity held far more power over the other. In every circumstance, the Ootori family had the winning hand here. They were old money, had run their business for generations and would _continue_ for generations. Next to them Sakamoto Corp. was a blip on the breeze.

Unless, of course, its singular heir came willingly and with the knowhow to make it _worth_ something. In the right hands, her own family legacy would thrive. They needed no money, aid or guidance. All they truly needed was the right leader. In this instance, that was someone who understood both the medical field _and_ its associated business. Chiyo wasn't foolish. She needed a strong business leader at her side to be able to take Sakamoto to the next level, if only for the respect it would gain the company. It curdled her stomach to know she'd never be taken seriously without a husband. It was _wrong_. Except it was how her world worked. As a doctor she could thrive. As a businesswoman - she would be laughed out the door. With an Ootori at her side, she'd be unstoppable.

"What do _I _gain?" She found it interesting that he asked so personally. The stress on his own gain wasn't something to take lightly, so she gave it a moment's consideration.

"With Sakamoto Corp. joined to the Ootori legacy, your profits will be immediate. Equally, you gain our ethos and reputation. The Ootori empire controls much of the hospitals in Japan, but Sakamoto Corp. is what will put them on the map. We not only have top of the line care, but we attract the best physicians and thus, the most willing to pay patients across every paygrade. With Ootori supplies and branding incorporated into our clinics, no singular person in Japan will be able to ignore their impact. And you," She smiled, "_You_ will gain the knowledge that you have facilitated the most successful business merger of this generation. Possibly even the next. Especially once we go international."

"There's not a single piece of evidence to suggest Sakamoto is expanding beyond Japan."

"Is there not?" It was her turn to feel a flicker of smug pride. "Paris. Milan. Barcelona. London. You've looked into me. Why do you think I would choose those places to present my work? Or that I've exclusively booked conferences with the highest rate of industry attendance?" It was a gamble to reveal a hand like this so early but whatever the Ootori connections were, none of them were a patch on the research colleagues she had cultivated over the past five years. She had a friend of a friend in every part of the industry, whether within failing hospitals worth buying out - or in the local suppliers. She'd crafted the plan with her grandfather from the age of ten. If she had her way, Hiroshi Sakamoto would've been able to convince his son to pass the company to a female heir. Sadly, he was too attached to the idea of _propriety._

Chiyo had long wondered if Kono had something to do with it, the man actively sabotaging her father's faith in her to gain the business. The way her grandfather had helped her craft skills as a physician _and_ in business over the years, pulling his remaining strings to endear her to the board - she felt he might suspect it too.

This, _right now_, was her chance. It would undermine everything she'd worked for to let it go now.

"I'll need to take everything into consideration." Kyoya said, standing upright. "Thank you for your time _Miss Sakamoto_."

"Take your time. I'll be here until Wednesday." She opened her purse, hesitating over the contents inside for a second before pulling one bill free and sliding it over the file he had proffered at her earlier. Collecting her own, the woman extended a palm. "I hope to hear from you sooner."


	2. Chapter 2

Her suite felt too empty once she'd dismissed her security team, Chiyo rubbing at her cheeks only when she was sure she was alone. She felt both exhausted and exhilarated, unsure when the last time was that she had had such a dichotomy of feeling. Kicking off her heels, the woman moved to the small living room and poured herself a scotch. After a beat, she measured out a second. Carrying both glasses to the small sofa, she left them onto the table. Lifted her feet to massage out the aches of the day.

The large window afforded her a view along the Parisian skyline, the small light she had switched on in the corner leaving the vision undamaged and whole. Shrugging off her suit jacket, Chiyo draped it over the arm of the nearest chair.

Twenty minutes passed. Thirty. By the forty-fifth, she was almost sure she'd made a mistake in her judgement. Then, quietly, the door clicked shut once again. She had to work on controlling the twitch of her mouth into a smile, leaning forward to claim both glasses once more as she rose. Kyoya was loosening his tie, suit jacket already disposed of on the table just inside the door.

He held his hands upright.

A truce.

Chiyo offered one of her own in return.

"Anything you say in this room will be held in greatest secrecy. There are no listening devices, no staff lurking in wait for a mistake." His mouth twisted. "I want honesty, but I'm not unreasonable in giving it in return. The man you spoke of as my lover, you already know that he is not - but the reason he assists me is because I have been funding _his_ partner and allowing their relationship to continue despite the fact that were my father to discover it, both men would lose their positions."

"It's easy to trade in secrets that won't destroy you in the process. Are you so willing to throw him below the bus?"

"If you were to take that information out of this room, it would emerge that _his_ partner is the third most powerful man on our board and has long controlled the finances. If my father loses him, then the Sakamoto Corporation will crumble even quicker than my seven-year estimation."

"What if I don't wish to obey your rules?" She laughed.

"You already took the drink. Stop postulating as though you're going anywhere." A hooded look flicked down to his hands as though he was surprised by what she had said. Indeed, the scotch was in his hand. She took a mouthful from her own, wincing at how it burned her throat, even as it coated her mouth with surprising sweetness.

"Why did you invite me to your room?" Chiyo moved to the window, arms crossed. Kyoya stepped up beside her, a tilt of his thumb moving the glasses he wore to the bridge of his nose so that he could study her.

"I wanted honesty and privacy. Our sparring downstairs wasn't going to grant us that."

"I was never anything but honest _Miss Saka_-"

"_Don't_." The warning was soft, the way he'd uttered her name pooling heat into her gut. She didn't _want_ to like this man. Not until she knew for sure. "Don't say it that way." His smile was evident as he pressed his lips to the back of her neck, the shudder that traced its way down her spine whole bodied and unwelcome. Turning on him, a finger was jabbed into his chest.

"Why did _you_ come to my room?" He reached around her to leave aside his glass.

"Because of all the women my father has attempted to trot before me, you're the first I've actually _wanted_ to bed." She frowned again. Ignored the way that his hands settled against her hips. He was taking liberties in his bluntness, she was sure, but somehow stopping him seemed to be the furthest thing from her mind. "Quite honestly, it surprised me. I'm not in the habit of turning away things that intrigue me."

"What makes you think I'd want _you_ in my bed?"

"You're the one who left your key card on the table, tucked between the money. Did I misconstrue the invitation?" _No_. That was the clear answer. His fingertips skittered along her side as she looked away from the man. Gave a non-committal response. The game had shifted, and although she felt like there was a modicum of control in her hands the woman hadn't accounted for the effect his proximity might have on her. Across the table in the bar she hadn't had to inhale the sharp scent of his cologne. Couldn't note the faint freckling on his skin. Combined with the sheer level of _energy_ this man exuded, what chance did she stand when all his attention was focused on her.

It felt strange to imagine him negotiating on behalf of his brother, but she found it impossible to envision entertaining Akito Ootori when each and every cell in her body was zeroed in on the way Kyoya's hands mapped the stitching of her dress. There was a tension to his stance that made her think he wasn't as calm and collected as he tried to portray. She liked that. Liked unnerving him as much as he thrilled in knocking her off beat. Before today, Chiyo had known him only through private investigations, public reports and rumour. Had known him only at a carefully crafted distance.

"Why did you turn down the Takahashi heiress?" His movements stopped. She enjoyed this too. How he chewed the scenery before offering her his truths, as though what he offered was a rarity. Indeed, from what she had studied of the man - it might well have been. At least to someone who he had only met.

"On paper we would have made a rather good match but having met her in person I quickly determined that she was seeking more than my present position could grant her."

"She wanted Akito over you?" A sore point if the irritation that flooded his eyes was anything to go by. His face remained generally amiable but she could see behind it. Voice soft, Chiyo laughed. "What a fool."

"What makes you say that?"

"I know someone vying for power when I see it. You're not going to remain in the shadows for long Kyoya Ootori."

"And you?" Rather than answer, he switched tack. "With the Uyeda family?"

"The son has been changing their business model. If he gained control of the Sakamoto holdings, within six months, he'd have sold off fifty percent of the less lucrative clinics in our possession."

"So, you're a bleeding heart?" She scowled at him, even as his fingertips crept along the slope of her neck to loosen the clip that kept her hair back from her face. It spilled over her shoulders into his palms. He seemed to revel in the feel of it and she had to bite her lip to stop a faint moan escaping at the way her scalp tingled. As though he recognised the fractured state of her mind, he moved to knead his fingertips against the knots in her skin, the sensation causing an undeniable urge to let her eyes flutter shut. "I know the fifty percent he'd have closed. It's not a bad decision."

"You'd both be wrong. Those clinics are in the more financially needy sectors but they also promote education and provide much needed services. If we withdraw them, it damages the entire ethos of what the corporation was built on. The literature shows that those coming from less wealthy regions show a unique comprehension of medical issues which leads to greater service and care. By promoting and assisting such education we will reap the rewards of better clinicians. Particularly once I implement the required service system for those who have been through our education track. We gain better service with minimal effort and funnel those people back into _our_ employee rosters."

His laugh caught her off guard but it sounded just as she'd have expected it to sound. A little sharp. Cold. Yet there was something else in his eyes. Not irritation anymore. _Curiosity_.

"You've got a wicked mind _Miss Sakamoto_." There he went again, saying her name as though it were a rare blossom. He'd been doing it all evening. "Do you wish to know why I was late?"

"Covering your tracks? It would _hardly_ do to be found in the room of your future sister in law unchaperoned." His eyes glinted. Mouth twitched.

"A scandal for sure, but rather - I called my father. That's why I took so long." His gaze was impossibly dark in the light from the city behind her, expression impassive. If it weren't for the hands still working against her skin, she might have said he was completely detached from this situation. "I told him he'd be a fool to pair you with Akito. You'd eat him alive and be running _my_ company as well as your own in two years." Her stomach bottomed out, face smoothing to cover the fear in her chest.

"And?"

She saw his smile spasm into being, the expression probably one of the more genuine ones she'd observed all evening. He seemed almost incredulous as he replied to her.

"You don't miss a silent _but_ do you?"

"I wouldn't be where I am if I did."

"I instructed him to begin proceedings for us to marry instead. He's most likely on the phone to your father as we speak." The wind slipped from her sails and Chiyo's breath caught in her throat. Her palms had settled against his chest, thumb running over the button on his waistcoat.

"When my father passes the business to you, I retain final say on all proceedings. Not just at board level, but at _ownership_ level."

"Naturally. While Ootori will remain _mine_."

"Of course."

"However, you _will_ attend all functions and events as required."

"As your partner, not an accessory. I won't be a piece to be taken out and used at your convenience. I also want to remain working at the clinics of my choice."

"Your father won't go for it, but he won't be the one in charge once we take over."

"I also keep my name. Our children will bear yours but whomever will succeed me _will_ take the Sakamoto title."

"You're relentless."

"And I want Kono gone. I don't care how; he's made enough bad decisions for one lifetime."

"Do you ever stop for breath in your negotiations?"

Despite his obvious consternation, he gave a nod. Her heart was racing in her chest, the same feeling of excitement humming below her skin like a siren call. Her father would be baffled at the idea of her becoming attached to the third, and arguably weakest, Ootori son. Her father was a buffoon. Only a fool could ignore the fire in Kyoya's eyes. If nothing else, he was a businessman. That might be enough to appease the man until he'd given her everything she wanted. All their agreements would be required on paper. In writing. Still, she didn't know why, could have been wrong, but with a man so blunt she felt like she could trust him to uphold anything said between them tonight.

Kyoya bowed his head to her, fixing his glasses back to the bridge of his nose. Before he could do anything further, she lifted a fingertip to his lips. By now he seemed bemused by her demands. Except this time, she didn't want something. She offered a warning.

"I won't be gentle with you. Or coddle you. If we do this, I expect someone who will bring my family pride _and_ power. Don't expect _love_."

Kyoya's smile was wicked. In answer, he opened his mouth to pull her fingertip between his lips. The movement had her exhaling shakily, lips parted in anticipation. He released her, the faintest indent of his teeth against her skin. He'd undone the wrap of her dress, fabric falling aside to reveal her underwear. There was quiet intent as he closed the divide between them.

"What makes you think I'd ever want _that_?"

She used the proximity to slip her hands into his pockets and remove any devices. All she found was a phone and her second room key, discarding both to the table.

"Don't trust me?"

"Only a fool would." She angled her head back, dark lashes hooded against her eyes. "Now fucking kiss me."

He made a point of gliding his hands along her neck to cradle her face. For a man who carried bladed edges in every movement, it was with shocking gentleness that he pressed his mouth to hers. Experimentally. Hesitant. It was more languid than she'd expected from him, more _careful_, than the man who had been doing nothing but ordering and questioning her about for the past few hours.

She sighed into his embrace. The hesitation vanished.

His touch hardened and when his tongue slipped into her mouth, she came to meet it. Whatever he'd been looking for in her kiss, he found it as he held her until her head spun and the world tilted. She'd been kissed before, but not like this. _Never_ like this. A schoolmate had once described a good kiss as addictive as heroin. Chiyo had laughed at her. She was going to have to send the woman a bloody fruit basket for an apology.

Kyoya kissed her with fervour, seeking dominance. Kissed her until heat expanded in her chest and her lungs ached for oxygen. Until she had no choice but to pull back, quick breaths warming his lips. His pupils were blown wide, a darkness that swallowed her whole. She'd craved this the moment he'd walked through that door, all pomp and dangerous power. She'd craved it the first time Eto had placed a manila folder into her lap and revealed the pictures inside.

His palms slid along her waist until they found a resting spot at her hips. He picked her up without ceremony, Chiyo helping him balance her by hooking her arms around his neck. Desire began to fill her senses with pointless distractions. Like the taste of whiskey on his tongue. How his skin smelled of her favourite French patisserie from around the block. The soft strands of his hair and the way her fingertips dislodged it so that it scattered itself along his forehead. They were the kind of distractions that could get her into trouble, but somehow, it only made her more certain. This man, she could live with him as a husband. Especially if he was going to have _this_ effect on her. The bed bounced as she was dropped, Kyoya loosening his tie.

"No," She moved to her knees, shaking off the fabric of her dress which slinked off the side of the bed to the floor. "No, I like you like this. Leave it on for now."

"In that case," He ran a hand over her hip to the stockings she wore, a shove pushing her backwards once more, "These remain until _I _say so."

Her mouth felt dry as the bed sank under his weight, the man tracing his hands along her waist and up to her arms. Pinning her hands in place. Trailing open mouth kisses along the line of her neck, she had a brief second to wonder if he had some kind of fetish. At least until his teeth nipped at the line of her jaw and sent her thoughts reeling. His legs straddled her at either side but it was his mouth that demanded her attention. A trace of his tongue into the hollow of her clavicle made her shudder, head arching to offer more skin.

His presence, as cloying and _looming_ as it could be, was driving her mad with restlessness. The heat between her legs was a desperate, aching thing made all the worse by the feel of him against her thigh as he attacked her neck, her shoulders, her jaw, her _mouth_, with every fibre of his being. It was the glide of her foot that inspired him to hiss, leg dragging past the solidness of him trapped beneath his slacks. Toes finding a pressure point.

She couldn't have said if she wanted him in charge, or herself. All she _did_ recognise was the pulsating heat in her own body and the possessiveness of the way her fingers locked into his when he relinquished his almost painful grip on her wrists. Using his moment of distraction, she managed to roll them so she sat above him, rolling her hips into him. Once. _Twice_.

"_Fuck_." It's so faint she almost missed it but by now she's been consumed by his presence. Any word. Any action. All of them hum below her skin like a choir. He traced the curve of her waist before hooking a finger into the strap of her bra. There's a moment. A look. For all his severity and detachment, he's seeking her approval. Her nod is miniscule. From the second she made the decision to place her room key on the table, she had been saying yes. She just hadn't expected to gain _quite_ so much out of it.

It had been her last-ditch attempt.

Entice him. She'd noted the way he'd watched her when she'd shifted her legs. Traced her lips with her tongue. He'd wanted her. Almost, she believed, as much as she'd wanted him. If there had been no marriage agreement placed on the table, part of her wanted to think that she'd have turned him away from her bedroom. Somehow, the thought wasn't very convincing.

The lacy fabric unhooked, it slipped into his hands. Down her arms. When his palms pressed coolly to her breasts her response was immediate. Another roll of her hips. Kyoya fully dressed beneath her while his erection hardened against her thighs was almost more than she could process. Her attention skittered from the man beneath her. Towards the faint light in the corner. How it contrasted with the dark linens on the bed, haloing him in shadows. Then, he pushed himself to sit and held her in place. Arched his hips into her own, eliciting a gasp. Dropped his mouth over one breast. Traced the nipple with his tongue. Squeezed the other between forefinger and thumb. He deviated between the two, sucking skin between his lips and teeth while her body moved of its own accord. Seeking friction. Connection. She'd become half crazed with lust by the time he pushed her from his lap. Off the bed.

"Stand there." He's sat at the edge, breathing hard. An arm raised to hold her at a distance. The air is chilled. His hair ruffled from the bedspread. From her wandering hands. It would've felt almost like a rejection until she noted the agitation in his expression. She's had one night to learn Kyoya's expressions in person, but years of following his trajectory to recall this one.

"I'm getting to you." For the first time, her smug expression is justified. His growl is low and irritated.

"Fuck off." Each breath is a pant, her skin marked with patches of pink. His erection, visible and strained against his slacks. She couldn't have said what was more erotic. Her own state of almost nakedness, or his clothed, aggravated self. Chiyo reached forward, looped his tie around her fingers. Snagged his glasses from his face and folded them into his skirt pocket. Eased her palm along the line of his waistcoat. Unbuttoning it. It felt important to take her time. Trace the hard line of his chest as she undid each button that kept his shirt in place. To savour it. His Adams apple bobbed, a shudder trailing his form when her hand splayed against his bared skin.

He snaked a hand around her waist again. Pulled her back to him. Ran the backs of his fingertips along her bared torso as he trailed kisses to the space between her breasts.

"I want you." It's little more than a whisper but it left her mouth all the same. "Here," Her hand covered his own and brought it to her lips where she trailed her tongue over his fingertips, "Here," To her breast, "And _here_." The dampness between her thighs.

The sound that escaped him was guttural. It intensified the heat burning its way through her veins.

"I'm not," Kyoya dragged a hand through his hair, upsetting it further, "Letting you out of this room until I've done it all."

She had had lovers in the past. Men who knew what they were doing. Men who hadn't. Kyoya at least had an idea of what he wanted, as the man hooked his hands behind her thighs. Leaned back into the bed as he curled her with him, bodies flush. His kisses now were harsh. Heated. He hooked fingertips into her underwear, lifting the lace over the curve of her legs. Past the garter belt. Her stockings.

For her part she worked on ridding him of his shirt once and for all. Tracking the dark hair that trailed beneath his slacks and hardness of his cock under her thumb. The closer she came to something akin to release, the emptier she felt. It was a creeping void urging her forward, craving fulfilment. Wholeness.

_Satisfaction._

There was no shame in her nakedness or her desire. If anything, it seemed to please him. That, in turn, pleased her. She picked up the discarded tie and knotted it around his wrists and the headboard with a little wriggling to get him in position. Shirt thrown open and his legs wide, she thought she might just throw in the towel and fuck him. Except where was the fun in that?

A hand cupped against his crotch, Chiyo met his eyes as she opened his slacks. Pulled away the boxers he wore with a tent in the centre. She saw his throat bob again when her hand trailed along the bare skin of his thigh. Inside, she was itching to be filled by the length of him.

"You know," She breathed it as her hand wrapped around his cock, a sharp tug of her hand inducing a hitch in his throat, "When your file first crossed my desk, I found myself wondering what made you tick. Akito was easy to pinpoint, he's a follower but you -" Another sweep of her palm, "_You _are complex. I searched for dirt on you. Nasty surprises. Secrets. Besides that strange little connection you had to the Fujioka woman, I struggled to find a thing."

He gasped when she dragged her finger over the tip of him, hips bucking into her waiting hand.

"I think I'm going to have fun taking you apart."

"How long?" He wrenched it out between his teeth as her body bowed. Head, _lips_, hovering over him. "How long were you watching me?"

"How long have you been watching _me_?"

His litany of words when she swallowed him into her mouth was incomprehensible, consisting only of swears and mangled moans wrung from deep in his chest. It was easy, now, to unravel him. Her tongue traced the vein along the base of his cock, cheeks hollowed when she began her work in earnest. Her hand remained in place, covering the skin she couldn't take into her mouth. As she worked, she watched him.

The parted gasp of his mouth. Pinkness of the tongue that tried to stop his lips from drying. How his lashes fluttered when she found the right spot just below the tip and sucked it between her teeth. Rough. Desperate.

It didn't take long to taste the precum in her mouth or notice how he'd swollen. He felt heavier on her tongue. There was agony inside her as no release came for the heady warmth that twisted and writhed at her centre but this, _this_, was fun. Why dare stop now?

Her head moved along his cock to a faster beat and the headboard creaked his dissatisfaction. Without words she knew that if she released him, he'd bury his hands in her hair and fuck her mouth until he spilled hot and heavy into her.

It was only when his breathing grew most erratic that she released him with a faint _pop_. Sat back on her haunches.

She could see how his teeth were gritted but it was the intensity of his stare that she loved most. Possessive. Molten. It started at her mouth as she licked her own lips and sucked two of her fingers. Trailed them down the length of her body until she found her centre. Her clit. The moisture.

"_Oh_," She exhaled it when her hand made contact with her clit, the itchy sensation abating as she stroked index and middle fingers back and forth with slow focus. Deliberate. "_Yes."_

Chiyo made him watch, hands tied and cock hard, as she fingered herself. Revelled in the moan as she let one finger slip between her folds. Then another. It would've been better to have him explore her but this too was a game of power. If her gaze hadn't been heated and determined, her eyes might have drifted shut to lose herself in the feeling altogether. As it was, she wanted him to watch her draw herself to the precipice. The way her stomach tightened. Bucked. Her clit twitched with need whenever she dared leave it untouched, so she didn't dare to do so for long.

Kyoya's hand around her neck was unexpected, but not as much as the way it turned her on.

"Stop touching yourself." He ordered. His weight forced her backwards and she heard the thud of a discarded shoe. Swiftly followed by a second. Then, the silken sound of his slacks. When he was devoid of clothing altogether, he grabbed her hands and drew them above her head. Dragged his nails across the sensitive skin of her wrists torturously slow.

She wanted him to fuck her. To use the fire igniting his eyes as motivation to make her scream. Part of her expected him to be cruel, as she had been. Draw out her pleasure until she couldn't take it.

For a moment he was positioned at her entrance, cock gliding easily inside the first few millimetres. Retreating. More kisses found home in the hollow of her throat, the line of her ribs and the flat plain of her abdomen.

It was his tongue that disarmed her.

She'd braced herself for his cock. For his wandering hands. What she received was a curling roll against her clit that made her make a noise akin to a sob. He pressed kisses to the insides of her thighs, nipping sharply at the protuberance of her hip. Back arching from the bed, her eyes rolled.

"The first time I saw you," He breathed it into her skin as he traced his tongue everywhere but where she wanted him to, "It was the annual May Week Gala two years ago. You wore -"

"_Lavender_." It was rasped and his nails dug into the back of her thighs. "You, _fu-_ you made all your preferences available on that - _that_ \- school website."

His laugh was breathy and his tongue dipped between her folds. It was harder to breathe now. To remain focused. The bedsheets curled beneath her splayed hands; air released in pants. If she'd been the begging kind, she'd already have cried for mercy. Instead she was stubborn. _Desperate_, but stubborn.

"The - the next time I saw you -" His arm draped over her leg; a damp kiss pressed to the curve of her calf which made her whimper.

"You attended the Hitachin Summer Soiree. A rare thing to receive an invitation to such a prestigious event unless you know an attendee on the inside."

"Shut _up_."

She reached for his head, fingers floating between strands of dark hair. Forced his head back where she wanted it. Kyoya obliged. Between exploratory licks and more determined strokes of his tongue, she attempted to piece together just what their confessions meant. He'd been observing her as long as she had him. It was infuriating. He was _meant_ to be caught unawares. She'd worn gowns in his favourite colour and always kept her distance. Hovered on the outside of his social circles and made sure she hadn't gotten close enough to count the faint freckles on his cheeks or note the scent of his cologne. Instructed her security team to leave the odd trace that she was there, watching.

What she _hadn't_ accounted for, was him taunting her so doggedly in return. She'd wanted his intrigue. His fervour. The benefits his family name and career could offer. A gnawing thought was springing forward to say to her that somewhere along the way, she'd started to desire _him_. Not every part of his story was squeaky clean. He was ruthless. Calculated. Detached. She wanted his power. She wanted his _cock_.

She wanted…

_She wanted…_

Desire licked at her insides, hot enough to sear all senses. He was eating her out as thoroughly as he faced a crisis and the sheer weight of that knowledge left sweat beading on her skin. When he curled his tongue inside her and added a finger for good measure she choked on his name. Spasmed her fingers hard enough in his hair in her attempt to draw him back to her mouth that he yelped.

"Come for me first." Two fingers pumped into her relentlessly as she thrusted towards him. Her orgasm hit her as roughly as a wave, spine curving upward as if hit by an electric current. Kyoya crawled his way up her shaking body, rested elbows either side of her head and staggered the ride of her orgasm with a painfully slow glide of his erection between her legs. Taunting her.

She pulled him to her mouth to kiss him, hands knotted in his hair. Tasting herself on his tongue. The scotch. From here, as her mind reordered itself, she could observe the flushed line of his cheeks. How swollen his lips had gotten. The way his eyes had somehow become darker still. A void she could imagine herself lost in. A possessive, vindictive part of her thought how pleasurable it was to be able to elicit such reactions from him. Get beneath his skin. If she could have him this way, every day, she could imagine a life of fulfilment. He moved to kiss the curve of her jaw once more. Pulled her earlobe between his teeth as her legs hooked around his waist to draw him closer to her.

"You're the one that advised the Takahashi woman to focus on Akito aren't you?" She laughed, eyes sliding to meet him without shame. A penny of her own dropped.

"You guided the Uyeda man to a more streamlined outlook in his business." It wasn't a question. He answered it by sliding into her without warning. Chiyo swore. The man slid from her, releasing her to reach for his abandoned clothing. She rolled after him and grabbed his arm. Pointed to the bedside locker.

"First drawer." He made efficient business of his search, ripping the package with his teeth and rolling the condom on. Hands under her hips flipped her onto her stomach, a snap of the garter as he pulled it between his teeth. Kissed the base of her spine.

"I'm going to fuck you," There was no ceremony when he sank into her from behind, holding the full weight of himself upright on his knees, "Until you don't have a calculated thought left in your head."

She wanted to grasp at him and promise retaliation but instead smothered her moans in the bedspread as he kept his thrusts slow enough to kill her. Slow enough to feel each inch of him in full as he filled her and retreated. He pulled her backwards, one hand settled on her breast and the other around her neck.

"Are you sure you can?" She taunted, reaching behind herself to pull his hair. Claw at his side. "I'd have fucked myself three times over at the pace you're going."

"Fuck _off_."

Manic need had taken over at their closeness. The feel of him inside her. His body behind her slicked with moisture. The scent of his cologne was going to be all she thought about going forward. Spice, lavender and sex. He dropped a hand from her hardened nipples to flick at her clit, teeth sinking into her shoulder. Sucked the skin between his lips hard enough to leave a mark. His thrusts became faster. Harder. Her head twisted to reach his mouth and he kissed her between the damp sounds of his cock filling her.

Again. And _again. And again._

Their rhythm slipped a brief moment when pushed her forward enough to hold her waist and increased his speed.

"Touch yourself. Fuck, touch yourself _now_." She'd have disobeyed if not for the fluid pleasure coursing beneath her skin, no need to moisten her fingers again due to the wetness of her arousal. She was getting wetter. Tighter. Her vision turned white hot as she felt his stagger. Heard laboured breaths. The working of her clit intensified as he shuddered into her. Thrusted hard one last time. He rode out the bliss as she spasmed around him and arched backwards into him.

The second orgasm was so much more than the first. It was energy in its purest form, Chiyo trapped in the centre of it. All mortal sensations thrown to the wind. When her vision and awareness returned - a minute, an _hour_ \- later, Kyoya moved out of her slowly. Gentler than expected. He dropped onto his back beside her, fingers pulling the condom away. Chiyo's body was putty. Soft and pliable.

Once her breathing returned to something acceptable, she rolled her head to look at him. His chest rose and fell rapidly. The lamp made his body look illuminated from within.

"_Fuck_," She gasped it, enraged. "You're beautiful."

It was the wrong thing to say and yet he reached for her still. Dragged her across the bed and left heated kisses between her lips and ear. When warmth glowed between her legs, he released her. Pushed himself from the bed to walk towards the window and finish the scotch he'd abandoned there. It's a pleasure to allow herself to watch him openly, elbows rested on the bed and

"Come here." It's her turn to order it and he returns with her glass and his own refilled. Watched her with a bemused expression. The alcohol burned its way down her throat. Her gaze defiant when words escape her once more. "Don't mistake my admiration for anything else."

"I wouldn't dream of it." He curled a hand at the back of her neck, drawing her into another kiss that quickly sent all logic on holiday. "Now shut up. I'm not done with you yet."

His smile was riddled with knowing intent. She reflected the same expression back and leaned forward to press an open kiss to his stomach. The swelling return of the hardness between his legs.

"Good."


End file.
